Studi Keanekaragaman Tumbuhan Areal Tambang Desa Kawasi Kabupaten Halmahera Propinsi Maluku Utara

Abstract

The mining area of Kawasi Village, Obi Island, North Maluku, represents a tropical landscape that has experienced various levels of anthropogenic disturbance, including recurrent fires, land clearing, and mining activities, resulting in substantial changes to vegetation structure and composition. This study aimed to evaluate floristic composition, plant diversity, and natural regeneration processes across different habitat types within the 4,247-ha mining concession. The study was conducted between 2014 and 2018 using a plot-based vegetation inventory approach with purposive sampling designed to represent major habitat types, including post-fire areas, secondary forests, swamp forests, and reclaimed mine sites. Data collected included species composition, stand structure, Importance Value Index (IVI), and Shannon–Wiener diversity index (H'). The results showed that most post-fire habitats were still dominated by pioneer species such as Alphitonia incana, Macaranga spp., Commersonia bartramia, and Melastoma malabathricum, indicating early to intermediate successional stages. Nevertheless, several sites exhibited increasing species richness and diversity, suggesting active natural regeneration processes. The most advanced stages of ecological recovery were observed in the Danau Karo 3 secondary forest fragment and the Kawasi swamp forest, which were characterized by the dominance of non-pioneer species, abundant natural regeneration, and relatively high diversity values (H' up to 3.0). In contrast, heavily disturbed habitats such as Danau Loji 1 and Bunaken Swamp remained dominated by pioneer species and understory vegetation, with relatively low diversity levels. The occurrence of several Maluku endemic species and other conservation-significant taxa indicates that the study area continues to provide important ecological functions as habitat and regeneration sources for native flora. Overall, the findings demonstrate that vegetation succession is progressing across the landscape, although recovery rates vary considerably depending on disturbance intensity, habitat conditions, and propagule availability. These results highlight the importance of conserving remaining natural habitats and promoting restoration strategies based on natural regeneration to support ecosystem recovery and biodiversity conservation in tropical mining landscapes.